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Intuitive eating, therapeutic fasting, Scandinavian and Mediterranean diets — all of this is not so much about diet as it is about lifestyle.
There is another popular system that may be of interest to those who want to get in shape and take care of their health. This is a menu and eating habits based on Japanese traditions. We will tell you about its features and principles, informs Ukr.Media.
Natural and fresh products
Naturalness is important to the Japanese. They have industrially prepared food and fast food, but even in the diet of young people they are not popular. A characteristic feature of Japanese cuisine is minimal processing of products. Pickling, fermentation and sun-drying are popular, while deep frying, marinating, long cooking and abundant seasoning with spices are not in high esteem.
The Japanese are demanding about freshness. The shelf life of meat, fish, and vegetables is indicated on the packaging up to an hour. Preservatives and frozen foods are rarely used.
Traditional Japanese cuisine does not use imitations such as crab sticks or seaweed roe. There are also no meat substitutes due to the popularity of the classic soy cheese tofu.
Rice, soy, and seafood are the basis of Japanese food.
Rice is a staple food in Asia. It contains potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, which regulate muscle and nervous system function and support the health of body cells. In Japan, high-glutinous rice varieties are mainly used, which is why rolls, sushi, and onigiri are made. However, the main dish of Japanese food culture is gohan rice, which is steamed without salt or other spices. Previously, it was served two to three times a day, but now it is eaten at least once a week. The names for breakfast, lunch, and dinner come from this dish: asagohan, hirugohan, and bangohan.
Soybeans were brought from China about a thousand years ago. At first, they were a favorite product of Buddhist monks, and soon became available to ordinary people. They are most often consumed in the form of sauce, tofu, and natto — fermented beans. Soybeans are also used to make pasta, milk, and other products. They are useful because their protein normalizes lipid metabolism and helps prevent atherosclerosis.
Fish is a major source of animal protein. It also contains beneficial amino acids, which are necessary for tissue formation, and B vitamins, which are involved in metabolism.
Variety and seasonality
The average Japanese meal consists of soup, several appetizers, side dishes, and steamed gohan rice. The first is a clear fish or chicken broth with vegetables or noodles. Miso soup made from wakami seaweed, soy paste, and tofu is often served. Salads made from fresh vegetables, seaweed, roots, and herbs are served as appetizers and side dishes, and sushi, soba, spring rolls, gyoza, and udon are also served.
Dishes are seasoned with various sauces: soy, wasabi, rice mirin, sesame sesam, and others. For Japanese-style meals, it is customary to add a little salt, sugar, and spices to dishes. Mayonnaise and ketchup, which are popular among Europeans, are more often used in borrowed, rather than traditional, cuisine. These sauces are preferred to be added, for example, to pancakes and sandwiches.
Sometimes rice is served in a Western style as a side dish. One of the most popular borrowed dishes is curry, a recipe that came from India. It is accompanied by vegetables prepared in the Japanese tradition and eaten with a spoon or fork.
The menu depends on the season and weather. In the spring, bamboo and salmon appear in the diet, in the fall - fried chestnuts, matsutake mushrooms, mackerel. In the heat, the diet consists of cold soups, jellies, octopus and shellfish dishes. They are believed to give a feeling of coolness. In the cold, the Japanese prefer nabe soup: it is made from pink salmon and crabs, and portions are served while the broth is boiling in the pot.
Small portions
Proper nutrition makes it impossible to overeat. In the country, it is customary to eat in small portions, there is even an expression “hara hachi bu”, which means “eat until you are 80% full”. It is important that as the Japanese age, they reduce the amount of food they eat, and monitor their calorie intake more carefully - they believe that this prevents the development of diseases. In youth, in their opinion, they need to eat more densely to compensate for the loss of energy.
During lunch or dinner, the Japanese drink green tea, most often sencha. The drink is served in small cups, and is not meant to quench thirst, but to enjoy the taste.
What can be done?
Use the principles that work for you. It is difficult to follow all the rules of a healthy Japanese diet, as the products and traditions vary greatly, but it is quite possible to diversify the diet, add more vegetables and fish, reduce portions and use fewer spices. In this case, the menu will be more in line with proper nutrition.
